


What If I'd Had You?

by DancingInTheDark282



Category: Outer Banks (TV)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst and Romance, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Good Friend JJ (Outer Banks), Hurt JJ (Outer Banks), Hurt/Comfort, I Love You, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Implied Childhood Sexual Abuse, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, JJ (Outer Banks) Deserves Happiness, JJ Has A Girlfriend, JJ Has a Heart, Kooks vs. Pogues (Outer Banks), My First Work in This Fandom, Not Canon Compliant, Past Child Abuse, Pogues (Outer Banks), Protective JJ (Outer Banks), The Pogues (Outer Banks) Fight, Two Broken People, Why Did I Write This?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-17
Updated: 2021-02-02
Packaged: 2021-03-15 13:33:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,210
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28814205
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DancingInTheDark282/pseuds/DancingInTheDark282
Summary: We all know the story of the OBX. We all know the characters.We all know JJ, the wild, all or nothing Pogue who stole out hearts.But how would it have gone differently if JJ had a girlfriend?Or, some scenes from OBX and how they would have gone differently if JJ had a girlfriend.
Relationships: JJ & John B. Routledge, JJ & Pope & John B. Routledge, JJ & Topper (Outer Banks), JJ (Outer Banks)/Original Female Character(s), Sarah Cameron & JJ & Kiara & Pope & John B. Routledge, Sarah Cameron/John B. Routledge, Sarah Cameron/Topper
Comments: 2
Kudos: 21





	1. The Kegger

**Author's Note:**

> Hello!  
> So this kind of came to me very randomly while rewatching the show... so I thought why not? The scenes aren't going to be perfectly canon-compliant because there's a new character in them, but please let me know what you think.. Also writing soft JJ is one of my favourite things.  
> A little backstory:  
> Emmy is JJ's girlfriend. I don't give her any description, so you can imagine her however you want.  
> Her past is just as, if not more, messed up than his. And maybe that's why they work so well together. They've been together over a year, and neither of them are planning on letting go any time soon.

The kegger started off seamlessly enough. Drinks were poured, kids started showing up, and even more drinks were poured. JJ slung his arm around her waist, pressing his lips against her temple, before he almost stumbled over.

She shook her head, “Jesus, how much have you drunk already?”

He shrugged, “I don’t know, about,” he pulled her closer, spinning her so that her back was against his chest. He lifted his arms around her leaving about a foot of space between them, “that much?”

She turned around in his arms, laughing as she snuck her hands around his waist, “You’re such a dumbass.”

He grinned easily, “But, you love me.”

Rolling her eyes, she went onto her tiptoes, “I do.” She carefully traced her hands up his sides, not failing to notice the side eye she was getting from a couple of tourists. She and JJ had no qualms about PDA, they didn’t care who saw. Her hands wound around his neck, and she pulled him down. Their lips met, passionate and hungry, and just slightly sloppy due to the booze, but both pulled away after a few seconds. They had people to talk to. Kooks to piss off.

Pogues for life, right?

She stepped back, stealing his cup from his hands, “Thanks for the drink. Now go save John B. I think he’s stuck in a conversation with Sarah Cameron.”

He looked over his shoulder, his signature smirk gracing his lips. The smirk that she fell for, the smirk Emmy got to see through. She watched him saunter away, the same way he did every time, pushing his blonde hair back with one hand.

She noticed he was still wearing his backpack.

Odd.

He joined the conversation, jokingly tossing his arms around both John B. and Sarah, and Emmy didn’t even feel an ounce of jealousy. JJ was a flirt; it was a known fact. But JJ was also loyal to a fault, and he cared about Emmy far more than he let on in public.

She was his sun.

And he was her moon.

Often shrouded in clouds, but a source of light even in the darkest of times.

The conversation seemed to be going fine as Emmy grabbed another drink, but things gradually took a turn for the worse. Topper, Kook King, showed up, yelling. He was dating Sarah Cameron, and clearly didn’t have the same trust in his S.O. that Emmy did.

Emmy wordlessly handed her drink off to the nearest Pogue, making her way across the sand. She walked slowly at first, hoping John B. would diffuse the situation; he was generally pretty level headed. But then a punch was thrown, and Emmy surged forward with the rest of the kids.

John B. VS Topper.

This would be interesting.

She made it to JJ’s side and grabbed his arm, drawing his attention from the fight for a moment. “Think John B’s got this?” John B. was pretty good in a fight. Most of her Pogue friends were.

JJ nodded without thought, cheering on the fight with the rest of them, “Let’s go John B! Let’s go!”

The fight was going as most of them do, nothing Emmy hadn’t seen before. Tackles and punches. But then Topper slammed John B. into the water, face first, and held him there. Sarah Cameron was the first to react, surprisingly, “Topper, Topper let him go!”

Everyone started screaming at that point, but no one moved. Emmy didn’t know why. Suddenly JJ was moving from her grasp, something black and solid in his hand. She couldn’t make out what it was, but she was able to figure it out when JJ threatened, “You know what that is.”

Topper’s hands went up instantly.

People started freaking out, panicked screams coming from everyone, Pogue, Kook, tourist. Emmy cursed, _why did he bring the gun?_

“JJ!” Emmy screamed. She ran forwards, stepping in front of him and placing one hand on his shoulder and the other on top of his own on the gun, “JJ, look at me. Hey,” she waited until his eyes met hers, wild and crazed. “Look, you stopped him. Just give me the gun, okay? Don’t.” He blinked harshly, his eyes sharp, tearing through her and staring straight into her soul. “Please.” She kept her gaze in line with his, waiting for it to soften. For her JJ to come back through.

He looked at her, slowly unclenching his jaw and she felt his fingers shift, taking them off the trigger. “Yeah, just give it to me, please.” The weight of the gun slipped into her hand, and she instantly pulled it away from Topper’s head, putting the safety back on and throwing it to the side.

It hit the sand with a dull thud.

Emmy called without looking away from JJ, “Get out of here, Topper.”

Topper stood up, rushing away from John B who was crawling onto his knees, slowly getting air back into his lungs. She wanted to help him, but her boyfriend needed her more. Emmy stepped in front of JJ completely, her hands locked on his forearms, keeping her eye contact with him the whole time. “Hey, hey, it’s okay. We’re good now, okay? We’re good.”

Topper looked back at them and shouted, “You’re fucking psycho! Put your Pogue on a leash, bitch.”

JJ’s gaze went sharp again, and moved past her instantly, his right arm pulled back and ready to launch into a terrifying right hook. “JJ NO!” She yelled, but it was too late. The two of them started, and JJ dropped Topper, slamming him into the sand, earning a chorus of cheers from the rest of the Pogues. John B. slowly got to his feet and Emmy turned quickly, helping him up, “Are you okay?”

He nodded, his eyes on JJ and Topper, currently rolling through the sand, half in the tide. John B asked, “What happened?”

She shrugged, “Topper called me a bitch.”

John B nodded, “Of course he did.”

“You good?” There was suddenly a scream from the beach, and Emmy’s eyes were brought back to the fight. Sarah had screamed, and Emmy saw why. Rafe, Topper and Kelce against JJ.

3 on 1.

Kelce was holding JJ, keeping him in a deadlock and Rafe was pounding on him.

“Rafe, stop! STOP!” She screamed, running towards the fight. She grabbed Rafe from behind, jumping on him, but he threw her off, slamming her into the sand. “Stay down _whore_ , final warning.”

Bad idea.

Don’t call Emmy names in front of JJ.

That was like lighting a stick of dynamite with nowhere to throw it.

JJ fought out of Kelce’s grip, smashing his elbow into his nose. Kelce fell backwards, his hands cupping his bloody nose, making JJ laugh. It was his wild kind of laugh. He spun, facing Topper and Rafe, and he yelled, “Let’s go!” Rafe came at him, but he ducked his punch, instead tackling him to the ground. He got up, but Topper was on him in a second.

Everyone was screaming.

Pope was begging them to stop, too scared to get into the fight and ruin his scholarship chances. He’d normally never hesitate, but this was a gun fight.

Kie was crying, there wasn’t much she could do in this fight and she knew it. She wasn’t a very violent person, and there was no way out of this one.

John B. was struggling to catch his breath and stand up straight, there was no way he could help—but Emmy could do something.

She pushed herself onto her feet and ran towards the gun sticking out of the dry sand. She picked it up, ignoring everyone’s panicked screams and leveled the gun at the boys. She shouted, her voice tearing through the noise, “Get the fuck off him!”

Kelce was the one who heard, and when he turned and saw her, he grabbed Topper, shouting, “Yo chill the fuck out!” Rafe was the last to turn around, but she was surging forwards, the gun in her hands, safety off. Rafe dropped JJ, slowly shaking his head, “You’re not gonna shoot me.”

She cocked the gun without thinking, “Try me. Get the fuck off my beach.”

He held his hands up, backing up slowly, “Okay, chill, chill, we’re going, okay? See? Come on guys.” The Kooks started away, slowly, and Emmy shouted, “GET OUT!”

People ran then, leaving just a few Pogues, her friends included. She put the safety back on, dropping the gun and walked to JJ’s side, “Hey, hey, you okay?” Blood poured from his left temple, but it was the right corner of his lip that was split. She got her arm under his and across shoulders, “Come on, let’s get you up.” They stood up shakily, stumbling slightly on the shifting sand.

Kie ran over, “You brought the gun? Are you crazy?”

JJ managed to straighten himself up, “No one else was gonna stop Topper.”

Kie opened her mouth to argue, but Emmy sent her a look. One that Kie could read easily; _Don’t. It’s not worth it._ Emmy and JJ started across the beach, and she called back, “Get John B. home, and take the gun. We’ll meet at the Chateau tomorrow.”

…

She winced as she disinfected his cuts, listening to him curse and flinch with every curse. JJ dropped his head backwards, “Motherfucker, jesus. He would have killed John B. you know that, right?”

She nodded, sighing, “I know.”

He gave her a knowing look, “You think I’m psycho, don’t you? Think I shouldn’t have pulled the gun?” He scoffed, rolling his eyes and turning away from her.

“JJ,” she waited for his eyes to meet hers. They were wild again, so she waited until they softened, “I don’t think you’re psycho. I _know_ that.” A smile tugged at his lips. “Could you have just tackled Topper, yeah. Probably would have worked out the same way.” She leaned forwards, carefully tracing her fingers across his cheekbone, “But you’re not like that. You go all in, all the time.”

He smiled, his hands reaching her hips and pulling her further on top of him. He wrapped his hand around the back of her thigh, pulling her leg so that she was straddling him. She shook her head, her nose almost touching his as she laughed, “What are you doing?”

“Just getting comfy.”

“JJ, you just got beat up, and no offense, but I don’t want your blood in my mouth.” She gently tapped the corner of his lip that was still bleeding, making him groan. She placed her hand on his cheek, kissing his forehead softly, “I love you.”

JJ was a lot softer than people thought, especially with her.

When he was with her, he wanted constant contact because her softness was so unlike the touch he was used to.

When he was with Emmy, he needed validation because all that he got at home was deprecating.

He needed her to tell him that things were okay, because he no longer had to be strong all the time.

He hummed, “I love you too.”

She sat back on her heels, her legs still around his torso, “You probably got hit in the head, so you can’t go to sleep.”

He smiled, his hands resting on her hips again, “Hm, what to do? We have to stay up all night?” He propped himself up on his elbows with a cocky grin and she rolled her eyes at him. She leaned forwards, meeting him half way and kissed along his jawline.

She spoke between kisses, “We aren’t, doing, that. Not, tonight.”

He groaned, making her laugh, “Come on.”

She smiled at him, “You’ll survive.”


	2. JJ Takes the Fall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> JJ took the fall for Pope, and we all saw how much it cost him.  
> But what if Emmy was there to help?  
> And what if Luke was a worse person than we thought?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank y'all for the hits and the kudos! This chapter is def better than the last, a bit heavier too.  
> Please read with caution, sensitive topics ahead.

She didn’t know how he managed it, but he convinced the cops to somehow give him a second call. That boy could sweet talk and lie his way out of anything. She picked up instantly, and she’d never driven faster in her life. She kicked his bike to life, speeding down into town, following the familiar pick-up truck to the police station.

She ran in a few seconds after him, calling his name, “Luke!” He turned around, his glare cold and harsh, and he spat at her, “What are you doing here?”

She flinched out of instinct. Angry adult males were always difficult to deal with. She forced down the knot building in her throat, making sure to keep her voice even, “JJ called me.”

“What, you gonna come bail him out?”

She shook her head, “No, we’re actually going back to Figure Eight to help with a beach clean up.” _Please buy it. Please buy it. Let me pick him up. Let me pick him up._

“What, JJ’s helping out? That kid hasn’t helped out a day in his life. I would know. So I’m gonna take him home.” He turned away, starting towards the front desk.

“I swear, Kie, she convinced us to help.” She followed after him, her voice coming out slightly more desperate. Luke spun around fast, and Emmy flinched on instinct.

There were a lot of things JJ and Emmy had in common.

Shit parental figures being one of them.

And abused being another.

“Get out of here, Emmy. I need to pick up my shit son.”

“Luke, please.” She grabbed his arm, and he pushed her off, sending her into the wall. He got to the front desk, and Emmy cursed. She raked her hands through her hair, shaking her head. Soon, JJ was brought out, and he met her eyes. His eyes weren’t wild this time. They were scared, shining with fear. She shook her head slowly, “I’m sorry,” she mouthed the words.

JJ nodded, steeling his gaze and setting his jaw as he stood next to Luke. She watched him build up his walls, just nodding along to what Luke said. She saw the anger flare in Luke’s eyes. Saw his back tense up at the restitution cost.

JJ wasn’t safe.

The two walked by, and instantly she wrapped her hand around his, feeling him relax with her touch.

He wasn’t alone in this.

Emmy listened to JJ promise to pay it all back, but even she was wondering how. 25,000 dollars. She saw Luke flexing and unflexing his hand, struggling to control his anger.

There was no way she was letting JJ get in that car.

She pulled him to a stop beside the bike, “Actually, Luke, could you give me a ride? I’m not the most comfortable on the bike, JJ can just take that.”

JJ spun to face her, his voice was sharp, but there were undertones of concern, “What are you doing?” His eyes were wide, staring at her. Luke looked her up and down, equally confused.

She noticed they had the same look when they were confused. Furrowed brow, wide eyed, and tilted head.

She tore her gaze from JJ’s eyes, squeezing his hand, “I was just thinking that JJ could take the bike, and you could just drop me off at my place.”

JJ pulled her hand, forcing him to face her, his voice tense, his tone warning. He asked harsher, “ _What_ are you doing?”

“Just getting a ride,” she answered easily, hoping he could read her eyes, _it’ll be fine_. She turned back to Luke, “What do you say?”

Luke rolled his eyes, “Whatever. Let’s go.” He started towards the truck and Emmy moved to follow him, but JJ held her back.

Waiting until Luke was out of earshot, JJ whispered, “Don’t. Have you seen him? He’s fucking pissed.”

“JJ, I’ll be fine. And he looks like he’s cooled down a bit,” she tossed a look over her shoulder. He did look less tense as he got to the truck.

“Don’t do this.”

“He won’t hurt me.” She pulled her hand from his, giving him her most reassuring look, “Just take the bike okay? Follow us, but once he drops me off, go to the Chateau, I’ll meet you there.” She kissed him. “I’m gonna be okay.”

She stepped away, hurrying towards Luke’s waiting truck and leaving JJ on the sidewalk beside his bike. He cursed, getting on the bike as she pulled herself into the truck. They had a ten minute drive. Emmy just had to play her cards right, and her plan should work.

The air in the cab was tense, leaving Emmy with nothing to do but stare at her hands. Luke finally broke the silence as they took a turn, “So, why are you with my son?”

“What?” she asked, before she quickly corrected herself, “I mean, sorry?”

“Why are you with him? He’s never held onto a girlfriend as long as he’s had you, and he isn’t the brightest kid on our side of the island. Besides, I know you’ve gone around, you can get any guy. Any _real_ , guy.”

There was something in his voice, a husky undertone she’d never heard before from Luke. And something twisted in her stomach as she heard it. His left hand was on the steering wheel, guiding them down the road, and he kept glancing into the rear-view mirror, making sure that JJ was still following. His right hand though, it started crawling its way towards her leg.

She swallowed harshly, “I’m afraid I don’t really understand what you mean.”

“Emmy, you’re not dumb. You’re a cute girl. I know you’ve been around, so why are you sticking with my son, when you could be with a real man?” his fingers brushed her knee and she forced herself not to jump, instead trying to subtly turn more towards the window.

She shook her head, her eyes trained on JJ’s bike in her side mirror, “I love your son, that’s why I’m with him.”

“But he’s not as good,” his fingers traced along the side of her thigh, and she couldn’t hide her flinch.

“Stop.”

He laughed, “What, you’re showing off all that leg, seems like an invitation to me.”

She answered sharply. “It’s not.”

She tried to push his hand off, but he just laughed, gripping her upper thigh tightly, “You’re always walking around in those tiny shorts and short shirts, and I know you’ve done it. I’ve seen the way you look at guys, such a fucking tease.”

She blinked back her tears, trying to ignore his fingers tracing along the inside of her thigh, “Luke, please. Stop.”

“No need to be a prude now, Emmy.”

His fingers hiked up, and instinctively her legs snapped shut. “Stop!” He laughed at her reaction, and she hit his arm, “Let me go.” He turned to look at her as they drove, his eyes darting back to the road every few seconds. He pulled his hand back, draping it across the backs of the seats. She let out a slow, shaky breath, forcing herself not to cry.

They were almost at her place.

She could handle him for a few more minutes.

She steeled up her gaze and lifted her chin. She could handle this. They came to a harsh stop and Luke’s hand shot out, catching her across her chest while her hands reached for the dashboard instinctively. His horrible laugh filled the car as he gave her chest a squeeze, “Gotcha.”

She pushed his hand off, “You asshole!”

She saw the shift. She saw his jaw tighten. His eyes narrowed. His fist curled around the steering wheel. She asked quietly, forcing her breath to remain even, “Luke, just stop the car. I can get out here. Please, stop the car.” Her entire body was trembling. She knew what happened when guys like Luke got like this. “Please,” she whispered.

He spoke eerily calm as he continued to drive, “You don’t flinch, or else your boyfriend is going to get it when he gets home.”

His hand went for the button on her jean shorts, and she froze. She went shock still, unable to breathe. Blood pounded in her ears, so loud it tuned out everything else, and the world became one big muffled ringing around her. He got the button loose and went for the zipper, all the while keeping his eyes on the road.

Emmy had to force herself to keep breathing in that moment. She saw her house coming up on her side of the car. She let out a shuddering gasp of air as his hand reached for the elastic of her bikini bottom.

She quickly unlocked the car door, throwing it open before he even stopped the car. She hastily unclipped her seatbelt. “What the fuck!” he yelled, slamming on the brakes.

She flew out of the car with the stop, crashing into the gravel outside her house and rolling a few feet. She pushed herself up on shaky legs as she came to a stop, acutely aware of the scrapes throbbing on her forearms. There was a second screeching stop, and JJ’s voice made its way through the ringing in her ears, suddenly beside her, “Emmy! Emmy, what happened? Em.”

She shook her head, “I’m fine, I,” she looked up, the door still wide open. She made eye contact with Luke, and she grabbed JJ, pulling him close. She pressed her lips against his, desperately pulling him as close as possible. She _needed_ him.

She needed his touch to erase the last one.

Love to replace the forced.

JJ to replace Luke.

JJ.

JJ got his hands on her hips, forcing himself to push her back. Something was _very_ wrong. “Emmy, what happened?”

She stared at him, her eyes rimmed in red, glistening with unshed tears. She shook her head, “I’m good, I’m fine.”

“Emmy.” That was all it took. JJ might not have been the smartest kid, but he knew how to handle these situations. His own emotions, not so much. But Emmy’s? He knew hers like he knew the back of his hand.

Always bruised and scarred.

Scabbed and sore.

He knew her.

She leaned into him, dropping her head against his chest, “He tried to.” She couldn’t get the sentence past that. But JJ knew the only other time Emmy got like this.

When her piece of shit uncle was around.

And he was the worst kind of person. He scanned her body, his blood boiling as his eyes reached her unbuttoned shorts. _That_ _motherfucker_.

JJ turned back to face his dad who was still sitting in the car, his jaw locked, “You really fucking tried that?”

Luke stared at the road, “She’s giving it away, looking like that. Even I’ve heard how much she gets around.”

JJ saw red. It poured into his vision, leaving his dad’s face as the only thing he could see, “Don’t! You’re a _fucking_ asshole! Get out of here!”

“And she’s a fucking slut!” He called back.

JJ slammed the door on him, screaming obscenities at him and sending the middle finger to his dad as he peeled away from the curb. JJ turned back to Emmy, “That motherfucker.” He wrapped his arms around her, “You shouldn’t have done that for me, he could have,” he closed his eyes, not wanting to think about it.

She shook her head, “I’m fine, really. He didn’t do anything,” she stepped back, buttoning her shorts back up.

JJ trailed his eyes up and down, catching on a red mark near the inside of her thigh, “He did that.” He pointed at it, trying to swallow down his anger.

“Just grabbed me,” she wiped at her eyes. She blew out a breath, smiling weakly, “I’m fine. We need to get out of here.”

“Em.” His voice was soft. So unlike the JJ the rest of the OBX knew. She broke a little inside as her nickname left his lips.

She nodded slowly, “I know. But I’m fine, just, he freaked me out.”

“What did he say?”

“Threatened you,” she mumbled. She forced her gaze to the ground, determined to stare at his boots instead of his face. “Said I couldn’t flinch or else you’d get it.” She heard him curse again, briefly stepping away to kick at the ground. She wiped at her nose, “I just, it was a little much.”

He stepped back in front of her, his boots nearly touching her beat up converse. He brought his hands up slowly, carefully lifting her face until her eyes met his. Blue on brown. He soothingly wiped away her tears with the pad of his thumb, “We need to clean up those scrapes, okay?”

She shook her head, “No, it’s fine, we should get to John B’s.”

“Em, you took care of me that night on the beach. Now it’s your turn.” She closed her eyes, slowly nodding, giving in. JJ laced his fingers through hers, pulling her towards the house. She followed him easily, letting him guide her through the crowded hallway and into her bedroom. He got her to sit on the bed, and left quickly to grab her medical supplies.

He started the process of cleaning the cuts and covering them with gauze since they were too long for Band-Aids. As he taped the last piece down, she reached up with her other hand, grabbing the back of his neck and pulled him down. Their lips met, the kiss a little needier than most. She felt his hand slide around her hip, his other supporting him as she slowly laid down on the bed.

He pulled her body up to meet his at the same time they pulled away to breathe. Instantly, his lips were on her neck, kissing down the side until he reached the junction of her shoulder. Her hands trailed along his back, one digging into his shoulder as he kissed and sucked on the same spot, and the other grabbed the edge of his shirt.

She started tugging it up, and he pulled away from her neck, giving himself time to grab his shirt and pull it over his head, tossing it to the floor. She threw her arms back around his neck, pulling him down, lips pressed together, tongues dancing. His hands edged under her top, tracing the tie of the bikini around her back.

JJ felt her ice cold fingers along the waistband of his shorts, shaking ever so slightly, and he forced himself to stop, despite every part of him wanting to keep going. He pulled away from her, his voice low, “Are you sure about this?”

She was confused for a second. They’d had sex before.

But then she saw his eyes.

_Are you sure about this_ after today _?_

Her past was no secret to JJ. He knew everything. So he was never shocked when she had to stop being intimate suddenly. He also knew her better than she did. But still, she nodded, her hands shaking just slightly, “Yeah.”

“Em,” he whispered, waiting until she actually looked at him.

She did, and the second she did she sighed, dropping her head back onto the mattress. “I hate being fucked up,” she spoke softly, closing her eyes. She could feel the trembling in her fingers, and knew, _hated_ that she knew, JJ was right.

Not tonight.

She gently pushed him off, and sat up, the two of them sitting next to each other on the bed. She raked her hands through her hair, “I’m so fucked.” She turned her head, giving him a weak smile, blinking back tears.

JJ shrugged, “You’re not fucked. We’ve just got fucked up lives.”

She loved him. He knew just what to say and how to say it.

He could make her laugh, anytime.

He could make her smile with a simple look.

She welcomed the warm feeling in her chest and laughed, shaking her head at him, “You’re such a dumbass.” He grinned, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and kissed her temple. Her eyelids fluttered closed, feeling perfectly at ease with his arm around her, his lips pressed gently on the side of her head.

Despite what everyone might have thought, neither was only in the relationship for the sex.

They were in it because they understood each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!  
> Please let me know what you think!  
> And what you want to see next!  
> ~DancingInTheDark282


	3. Midsummers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again!  
> We're back with another chapter! Also I was not expecting the number of hits, so thank you for that!!  
> This one revolves around the Midsummers event, and of course, since it's JJ, that means there's a fight LOL.  
> Let me know what you think, feel free to drop a comment!  
> Onto the chapter!

Midsummers

Emmy laughed silently from the bathroom as she heard Kie complaining to her mother about attending Midsummers. She adjusted the straps over her shoulders, glancing up into the mirror briefly. Her hair was still slightly on the wild side, but she managed to pull it up into a decent looking ponytail, leaving a few strands framing her face.

She stared down at the dress, shaking her head slowly, “Kie, you’re insane.” She’d gone to Midsummers with Kie the past few years, and every year Kie managed to get her into a more Kook-esque dress. Kiara had grilled her about the scrapes on her forearms, but Emmy managed to convince her she’d tripped down the stairs at her house and simply crashed into the gravel. She didn’t buy it easily, but eventually gave in.

Due to the not-so-pretty scrapes, Kie gave her a rose-gold dress with long lacy sleeves and a short skirt. A little too short when she put on her heels, but Emmy couldn’t force herself to care. She walked out of the bathroom connected to Kie’s room and couldn’t hide her laugh at the large crown of flowers on Kie’s head. She gestured around her own head, “Wow, that, that’s a look, Kie.”

Kiara rolled her eyes, “Oh shut up. Don’t think you’re getting out of here without a flower crown. My mom is crazy about them.”

Kie was right, because Emmy found herself walking along the patio of the Midsummers party, small white flowers draped across her forehead. They stood together, both taking sips from the over-the top champagne flutes, grinning at one another as Pope started setting up.

They made their way down to the barbecues, and Emmy called, in a horrible English accent, “What do you think you’re doing here, Pogue?”

Pope sighed, “Look, I’m just—” he turned, his frown turning into a smile. “Jesus, it’s just you guys. Don’t do that to me.”

Emmy shrugged nonchalantly, “I had to.”

Pope turned to her, the smile falling from his face, “Have you heard from JJ?”

Emmy nodded, “Yeah. His dad got him out. He’s got a hearing in two weeks.” She’d had to leave him to go to Midsummers, and it had physically hurt to walk away from him. But in typical JJ fashion, he’d shrugged her off, saying John B. was looking for him anyway.

And that he was fine.

Pope sighed, “I can’t do this. He took the fall for me. It’s all my fault-”

Emmy grabbed his arm, cutting off his inevitable rambling, “Pope,” he looked at her, his eyes wide and terrified. “JJ can handle himself, okay? He’s fine. And it wasn’t your fault.”

“JJ’s got the survival instincts of a cockroach.”

Emmy couldn’t help the laugh that escaped her, because it was kind of true. Despite it all, JJ found a way. Kie took a glance back at the house as applause poured out from around the double doors. Emmy crossed her arms, “Ever seen so many Kooks in one place?”

“Yeah, last year,” Kie didn’t miss a beat.

Pope held back a laugh, “We’re in the lion’s den, aren’t we?”

Emmy nodded, “Something like that.”

Pope’s dad just about chased Emmy and Kie off, forcing Pope to pay attention to his catering duties. Kie and Emmy started dancing along to the music, until Kie froze, her smile falling almost instantly, “Is that JJ talking to _Sarah Cameron_?”

Emmy spun around, her eyes taking in the sight. It was in fact, her boyfriend, dressed up in his white dress shirt, black vest and bow tie, dancing rather awkwardly back to back with Sarah Cameron. She gave Kie a distracted, “I’ll be right back.”

She moved through the dance floor, sidestepping waiters and Kooks, and passing the now grinning Sarah Cameron, following the head of blonde hair that was moving through the crowd. He came to a sudden stop, and Emmy almost bumped into him. She grabbed his shoulder, “Hey, what are you doing—”

“We gotta go.” He grabbed her wrist, pulling her forwards. Emmy ran without question, especially when she realized Rafe, Topper, Kelce and two other cronies were following them.

“JJ, why are they chasing us?” she asked as they ran inside the house, Rafe calling them. JJ turned into the bathroom, trying the different doors, cursing with every one that was locked.

He answered quickly, “Well, I’m guessing they heard it was me who ruined Topper’s boat. And they aren’t exactly happy with me after last time at the movie in the park.”

“Wait, you did _what_?” She asked.

He got one open and pulled her in, “Come on.” He shut the door, and turned towards her, their faces almost touching in the close quarters.

The door to the bathroom slammed open, Rafe and Topper’s voice taunting, “Come on Maybank, don’t be a pussy.” Both went silent, their eyes locked on one another

Emmy whispered to JJ, her breath hot against his ear, “What if they see my shoes?”

He cursed quietly, mumbling, “Jump.”

In a second, he lifted her up with ease, and automatically her legs went around his waist. His hands caught the underside of her thighs holding her up, her feet out of view. She clamped her hand over her mouth to avoid laughing, pressing her face against his shoulder.

He whispered against her hair, “You look real nice in that dress, Em.”

She bit her lip, trying to fight down her laugh as someone started trying the doors to the stalls, “Not the time, J.” The lock on their door shook, and it took everything in Emmy to not laugh, pressing her face further against his shoulder, not failing to notice how he was shaking with silent laughs himself.

“Come on man, he isn’t in here. Let’s go,” Kelce’s voice came through the door. She heard their footsteps disappear with the sound of a closing door, and instantly both relaxed.

She smiled at JJ, “You can put me down now.”

“I don’t think I want to,” he grinned cheekily.

She pressed her forehead against his, their noses brushing as she leaned in, their lips pressed together. He groaned, his hands squeezing her thighs as she raked her fingers against his scalp. She spoke against his lips, her words slightly breathless, "If we weren't in a bathroom stall right now, this would be perfect."

JJ pulled away, and seconds later his lips were on her neck, "Nope, it's still perfect. You just have high standards."

She laughed, grabbing his chin and tilting his head up to face her, "We can't stay in here."

"We really could," he winked at her, making her giggle as he let go, her feet dropping down to floor. She pulled the lock back and opened the door, turning to look at him with a grin, “You’re such a dumbass.”

While most couples had affectionate, make-you-want-to-puke nicknames, JJ and Emmy used low-level insults to convey their love.

Magical, right?

She had to hold back her laugh as they were gawked at by a few of the men who were in the bathroom. With their messy hair and slightly swollen lips, it wasn't too hard to put together what had happened. JJ gave a little salute as they walked by, “Evening, sirs. Nothing to see here. Just that 5 star service, am I right?”

They turned the corner of the overly large bathroom, and JJ’s hand grabbed her upper arm and pulled her behind him instantly. She looked over his shoulder, her eyes widening at Rafe and his cronies.

He smiled, “Hey, JJ. Emmy.” Her skin crawled when he said her name.

She stepped out from behind JJ, placing her hand on his chest, “Hey, let’s just go.” She turned to Rafe, “We have a party to get to, if you don’t mind.”

“I do mind, actually.” He stepped closer, “See, for a pogue, you’re actually pretty hot.”

Unfortunately, Rafe knew just how to push JJ’s buttons.

Fortunately, Emmy knew how to handle JJ.

She stepped in front of him, blocking his rampage, “No, he’s just trying to get you upset and into a fight. It’s five on two, JJ.” Two was pretty generous. Sure, Emmy knew _how_ to fight, and pull a gun or jump on someone, but she wasn’t the best in a fistfight.

And there weren’t any guns here.

Nor was there room to jump on someone.

Rafe held his hands up, “No, no, not that. I just want to know why you messed with my guy’s boat, hm? What’s wrong, Maybank? Why do you look so upset?” He stepped back a little, “You know, your face is looking pretty rough there, looking more like your dad every day.”

Emmy turned to the cocky idiot behind her, “Fuck you, Rafe.” She turned back to JJ, “Come on, JJ, _please_.”

JJ looked down at her, his jaw tensing under the skin of his cheek.

He _really_ wanted to fight. In that moment he would have enjoyed punching Rafe in the face, even if he couldn’t beat the rest of them.

But Emmy was there, and there was no way he could fight all five and protect her.

He gave in, grabbing her hand and moved them towards the exit. Suddenly another hand was on her arm, yanking her backwards, and she crashed into Topper. He smiled down at her wickedly, “Hey.”

Then everything happened at once.

Topper dragged her backwards, forcing her to watch as Kelce launched, locking JJ in a headlock. “NO! STOP!” She screamed, twisting desperately in Topper’s arms, but he held her tight. She watched Rafe taunt him, pretending to swing a golf club.

JJ smirked, “Wow, five on one? Very Rafe of you.”

Emmy struggled to get out of Topper’s grip

She got her feet under her, and threw her head backwards, her skull crashing against Topper’s mouth. At the same time she slammed her foot down, digging the heel into his shoes.

“Motherfucker!” He yelled, one hand instantly coming up to cover his lips, giving her some room. She shoved him off, turning towards the fight about to unfold, but the door was thrown open, “What is going on in here?” One of the staff members stood, staring down at the scene in front of him. Kelce let go of JJ, letting him stumble a few steps away for air.

JJ smiled, “Hello sir, we’ve got uh,” he cleared his throat, “ case of impersonating an officer,” he pointed at himself. “And, these lovely boys here, caught me.” He adjusted Kelce’s bowtie, “Looking spiffy.”

“Don’t touch my shit,” Kelce knocked his hands off.

JJ grabbed Emmy’s hand with a grin, “So if you want to just take us away, that’d be mighty appreciated. Good job boys!” he called backwards to the Kooks in the bathroom as the man in the suit grabbed JJ by the back of his vest, and shoved him down the hallway.

Emmy glanced at JJ from the corner of her eye, feeling her smile grow at his look of pride. The man stopped forcing JJ down the hall, giving Emmy a once-over, “I don’t even want to know what you were doing in there.”

She laughed, and JJ grinned at the man over his shoulder, “Really appreciate your help back there, but uh, you can let go.”

“Nice try. You’re still out.” He looked at Emmy, “Why are you still here?”

“Wow, you don’t think I can get a date as hot as her? Really?” JJ asked, sending her a wink. Emmy shook her head, a smile on her face as they got through the front doors. He marched JJ down the stairs and Emmy walked with them, intertwining her fingers with his.

“Wait, you can’t kick him out! I invited him,” Kie’s voice called over the crowd that had formed around the exit. “I’m a member at this club.”

Kie’s parents started talking to her, most likely telling her to not follow her friends, but one look from Kie, Emmy knew exactly what Kie was gonna do.

She grinned back at her, “Let’s get out of here!” Kie came running, laughing as she dodged her parent’s hands, picking up her skirt to avoid tripping. Further down the beach, John B stood, giving a salute to the Kooks watching. Emmy looked around, hunting for the final missing piece of their group, “Pope! Come on!”

“Don’t you dare boy—” Pope’s dad pointed a spatula at him, his tone anything but friendly.

“I’m sorry, I, I gotta go,” Pope apologized, before he dashed down the beach, meeting up with the rest of the crew. He threw an arm around Emmy, shaking his head, “Alright, my dad’s gonna kill me.”

“Nah, we won’t let him,” she grinned easily, giving him a quick hug before she moved to JJ’s side. Instantly his hand went around her waist, pulling her in close, letting out a cheer as they started down the beach. She glanced around at each of her friends in turn, a grin tugging at her lips. 

John B, grinning like a fool and looking lighter than she'd seen him in months.

Kie, smile wide as she ran from the world she wanted nothing to do with.

Pope, laughing as he welcomed rebellion with open arms.

And JJ fucking Maybank, looking absolutely over the moon, his hand in hers, embracing the wild night with his best friends, the way he always wanted to.


	4. Restitution Paid

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Would JJ still steal from a drug dealer if Emmy was there?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello Readers!!  
> This is very very delayed, and I apologize for that, but hey! A new chapter!  
> This one is gonna be a two-parter because so much goes down in this episode. So the first half is everything up until they are sitting down at the Wreck, debating what to do about JJ.

The gun was pressed against JJ’s chest as the man screamed, “Get down!”

Of course, JJ was trying to calm down the psycho with a gun.

Emmy grabbed his shoulders, shouting over both their voices, “Babe, stop!” The man screamed again she and dropped to the ground, dragging JJ down beside her. She fought down her tears; Sarah was crying beside her, muttering to herself. JJ was on her other side, she could see him losing it slowly. She could see him clenching and unclenching his jaw, his eyes scanning the ground wildly. He was looking for a way out.

She grabbed his hand tightly, forcing him to look at her, “Don’t, please.”

The masked man got into the van, looking for the gold. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see John B. get up slowly, making his way towards the masked man’s car. “John B! Don’t!” Sarah hissed.

“Don’t be a hero!”

John B. got into the back of the car, the door closing behind him as the man came out of the van. He pointed the gun at them, screaming, “Stay down!” Instantly their heads all snapped forwards, foreheads on the ground. He held the gold tight in his one hand and made his way to the car. JJ cursed under his breath, all of them watching the man get in the car. They heard a shout, watched the fight start, and JJ was up in a second.

JJ was always the one who got up first.

JJ was always the first who joined the fight.

Every time.

He ran towards the car, pulling the door open and yanked the man out of the car. He spun around, landing a right hook across JJ’s jaw, and Emmy shot up. She ran, slamming against the car door and knocking it into the man. He got pinned between the door and the body of the car, and he swung his hand, backhanding Emmy across her temple.

JJ just about lost it then.

He got into fights, a lot. He knew that, so he knew when he’d won.

But the second Emmy got hurt, or someone started messing with her—

JJ wouldn’t stop fighting.

Emmy hit the ground, her brain going foggy for a moment. She didn’t see what happened next, but she finally came to when she heard screaming. Multiple people, all screaming the same thing, “JJ, STOP!”

Pope was in front of her then, helping her up to her feet, and she could see the panic in his eyes. She turned around slowly, her eyes focusing on what was happening. The man’s face was more blood than skin, and he was on his side, crying out. Someone was kicking him repeatedly in the stomach, and he was barely responding anymore. She followed the black boot up, her eyes roaming over the arms trying desperately to pull him back, and she finally saw the crazy eyes and blonde hair.

She pushed off Pope, ignoring everyone’s screams, and stepped in front of JJ. She placed her hands on his face, “JJ, stop, please. We’re okay, you got him. He’s not getting up.”

His eyes met hers, “He fucking hit you. No one, touches you.”

“I know, I know. But you got him, okay? And we need to get out of here. Please,” she whispered.

He finally stepped back, cursing him out. “I know this fucker. He sells shit to my dad.” He leaned down, grabbing the wallet out of the man's pocket, and pulled out his ID.

“Okay, he’s not getting up for a while, and we _need_ to go.” She pulled him away, keeping her eyes off of the man’s bloody form. She pushed the group towards the van, “Let’s go.” The man screamed after them, "I know who you are! I seen your faces!"

They got in the car, JJ driving, everyone else sitting in the back. Emmy held her head in her hands, wincing at the blood on her fingers. Kie gasped, “Jesus, Emmy are you okay?”

She nodded, “Yeah, fine.” Apparently the hit to her temple was worse than she thought. She heard John B’s voice, “Yo, JJ, where are we going?”

“We’ve got one more stop.” Emmy couldn’t force herself to look up at the passing trees but she had a pretty good idea of where they were going. After several years of knowing JJ, and over a year of dating him, she knew how he functioned.

JJ believed in eye for an eye.

He was also a serious kleptomaniac.

They came to a stop in the roughest part of The Cut. Drug dealer central. JJ brought the van to a stop, glancing at the card in between his fingers. “JJ, what are we doing here?” Kie asked.

“Oh, this’ll just take a minute.” He kicked the door open, jumping out of the car and speed walking towards the house. Kie sighed, “You know, someone should probably—”

“Yeah, I got—”

“I’ll take this one, Em.” John B cut her off, sliding off the floor of the van to follow.

Emmy got up, jumping out of the van with him, “This might be a two person job. You know JJ.”

John B sighed, “Yeah, I do. Alright,” they walked across the overgrown lawn, getting onto the creaky front porch and pushing the door open slowly. “JJ?” JJ was hunting through the house, rifling through cabinets and drawers, haphazardly tossing the items aside. “JJ, what are you looking for?”

“I know he’s got a stash here, somewhere.”

“What, you want to steal from a drug dealer?”

JJ scoffed, “It’s the age old tale, eye for an eye, JB. He stole from us, we steal back.”

“JJ,” Emmy spoke softly. She reached for him, but he brushed her off, “No, don’t pull that shit, okay? This, this is how it works.”

John B grabbed her arm, pulling her back a bit, “Emmy, just let me do this one.” Emmy sighed, giving in and stepped back, letting John B approach JJ instead. “What happens when you steal from a drug dealer, JJ?” JJ didn’t give him an answer, instead moving towards the bedroom of the house.

JJ’s voice called, “Here we go!”

He came back out, shuffling wads of cash between his hands. Emmy’s eyes widened, “JJ, you can’t be serious.”

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

“You keep going down this road, you’re gonna end up just like your dad.” JJ’s hand instantly fisted John B’s shirt, his smile dropping, leveling him with a glare.

“Don’t you _fucking_ dare,” he spoke, and Emmy could see the anger in his eyes, flashing. He let go of John B, brushing past the two of them and back out to the van. John B moved to follow him, but Emmy caught his arm.

“What the _hell_ John B?” She forced him to turn around, “End up like his dad? Isn’t that exactly what Topper said to you on the beach that made you lose it? You crossed a fucking line.” She moved past him, letting the door fall closed behind her as she made it down the stairs.

Kie asked, “What, we’re stealing from drug dealers now?”

“This Barry guy is gonna come find us,” Sarah said, “and he’s gonna come after us.”

“Yes, he will, and this is not the time to start wilding out, JJ,” Pope tried to reason with him.

JJ’s voice was on the edge of losing it, “How did you guys like having a gun pointed at your head, huh?” Emmy moved a little faster at that, coming to stand beside Kie.

John B came up behind her, “What happens when he comes after you, huh JJ? He knows who we are.” John B reached for the bag, but JJ slammed him into the van, pinning him there. Emmy jumped, her hand covering her gasp.

“Then we punch him in the throat.” JJ answered without hesitating.

“What, you feel like a tough guy now, huh JJ? We aren’t stealing from drug dealers. This is wrong.”

JJ laughed, and it sent tremors down Emmy’s spine. It wasn’t JJ’s laugh. It was a wild, so wild that it was almost broken kind of laugh, “I’m not putting it back.” He sat down in the van, waiting for someone else to get in, but none of them moved. He looked over each of them in turn, his girlfriend last. He could always count on her. "Emmy?" he asked.

She shook her head slowly, "JJ, please, just listen-"

He scoffed, pushing himself out the door, “None of you agree with me, do you? You guys aren’t tired of losing? Of everyone just playing us?”

“No, we’re sick of your shit,” John B said simply.

Emmy watched Kie step forward, ready to add to the list, and tried to stop her. But Kie added, “Your pulling guns on people shit.”

“Your acting like a maniac shit,” Pope started.

JJ turned to Pope, his voice forcibly strong to hold back the pain behind it, “I took the fall for you man! Know how much money I owe because of you?”

“I know, and I’ll pay you back, but I never asked you to!” Pope defended.

“You didn’t deny it either, did you?” he smiled, but it was more hurt than anything else, “You know what, I just did. I paid it off. By myself, just now.” He scanned the group, his eyes landing on Emmy and he cursed, “That’s exactly what I’m gonna do. I’m gonna go off, by myself.”

He started away from them, and Emmy followed him, “JJ! JJ, wait!”

He spun around fast and she couldn’t hide her flinch. _Shit._ Emmy didn’t mean it, but there was no way to tell JJ that. He shook his head at her trying to ignore the stab of betrayal that made him want to snap. He turned away again and this time she didn’t follow. She turned back to the group, “What the hell was that?” She stormed forwards, “Just gang up on JJ?”

Kie shouted, “He was stealing from a drug dealer and trying to wrap us into it!”

“You didn’t all need to blow up on him! His ‘pulling guns on people shit’, really? Last I checked that was the reason John B is fucking _breathing_.” Sarah next to Kie dropped her eyes to the grass, but Kie stepped up, toe to toe with Emmy.

“He’s stealing from a drug dealer! Twenty five grand, Emmy! That’s not something that you can just take without consequences.”

“You don’t think I know that? He’s a fucking kleptomaniac, he literally can’t help it. You don’t think we could have talked him down if we’d all just listened and been calm?” She whirled on John B and Pope, “And you two! What the fuck?”

John B spoke sarcastically, “Sorry I hurt your boyfriend’s feelings, but—”

“He’s your best friend!” she shoved him in the chest, “He was your best friend first and _that’s_ what should matter right now. You _know_ him. Instead you tell him he’s just like his dad.” The murder in her gaze made John B step back. “And you, you’re the one that ruined Topper’s boat, not JJ?” Pope looked away, nodding stiffly. “What, you didn’t think he deserved at least a little patience?”

Kie cut her off, “Okay, look, JJ’s losing it. He just took money—”

“JJ’s the first to step into a fight, right? Even today, John B, who helped you stop Barry first? He’s the first one who is by your side. He’ll take the fall, he’ll get himself sent to jail for you, pull out a gun for you, he’ll risk his fucking life for yours, and all you guys say is that you’re done with his shit?” She shook her head, anger rushing out of her, “Tell me how any of that makes sense.”

Emmy leaned against the van, raking her hands through her hair, “I’m sorry, I, I shouldn’t be yelling at you guys.” She wiped at her nose, “I’m just worried about him.”

John B nodded, “I know, but this is _JJ_. He needs to cool off before we try and talk to him again.”

Emmy hated that John B was right.

She hated even more that she knew where JJ would go.

....

They sat around the table at The Wreck, all of them sullen and silent. Kie was the one who broke it, asking softly, "Where do you think he'd go? Home?"

Pope sighed, "There's about a zero percent chance JJ actually goes home."

Emmy shook her head, keeping her gaze firmly on the table. JJ definitely went home. John B glanced at her, a question in his eyes. It wasn't a secret that Luke wasn't a good parent, but only JB and Emmy knew the extent of how bad he was. Sure Pope knew Luke could throw a right hook, but he didn't know that Luke never stopped at just one right hook. She nodded stiffly, "We gotta find him."

Kie spoke up, her tone hesitant, "But isn't this just what JJ does? He wilds out and then calms down? Shouldn't we just wait for him to come back around? I doubt he wants to see any of us after that."

Emmy glared at the table, avoiding Kiara's eyes, "Yeah, it's what he does. But this time, he stole money to pay off a restitution. Who do you think that restitution falls to since JJ isn't an adult?"

Pope sighed, "His dad."

"Exactly. So where is JJ gonna go?"

"Home."

She gave a sarcastic smile, "And we all know how great that is." She pushed her chair back and stood, "So, JB, you with me?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The answer to the summary question is:  
> Yes.   
> Hope y'all liked it, I'll try to get the next chapter out sooner!!  
> Thank you for reading, please let me know what you think!  
> ~DancingInTheDark282

**Author's Note:**

> Please let me know what you think!!  
> More chapters soon, and let me know if you want a specific scene to see how it would play out if JJ's girlfriend was there.


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